The other day I was taking a walk, listening on my iPod to some ballet music, and I suddenly wondered—for no particular reason—whether the Eliot Feld ballet “Intermezzo” might have made its way to YouTube. During the 70s I had … Continue reading →
“Fancy Free” was one of Jerome Robbins’ earliest most successful and appealing ballets—and since he’s choreographed many successful and appealing ballets, that says a lot. I’ve been looking for some footage of the original cast from 1944, and I’m happy … Continue reading →
…(which I was)…yesterday I was in a jewelry store and a truly ghastly Christmas carol wafted through the air. It sounded like someone’s drunken uncle. It sounded a bit like Tom Waits, but not quite. “Is that Bob Dylan?” I … Continue reading →
I’ve seen the wonderful Balanchine ballet “Concerto Barocco” many times, but never with Suzanne Farrell, one of the greats. Despite the poor quality of the footage of her in the video later in this post, it is extraordinary to watch. … Continue reading →
And, since he’s Leonard Cohen, he explains it very, very well: And what about the charge that his singing causes people to feel suicidal? Exactly. As for me, I happen to think that Leonard Cohen’s renditions of his own songs … Continue reading →
[Please scroll down for ADDENDUM at end of post.] Who? Joan Baez and Judy Collins. And they look and sound pretty good, considering. Pretty darn good. They’re not what they were at their peak, of course. But who is, at … Continue reading →
George Balanchine’s “Serenade” is one of my very favorite ballets. It’s the perfect marriage of music, choreography, costumes, mood, and lighting, casting a spell on all who watch it. Here are two short but fascinating videos that feature some visuals … Continue reading →
Yes, Neil Sedaka. Why not? As for the why, I was listening to the song “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” the other day. I hadn’t heard it in a gazillion years, and I got curious about him. So I … Continue reading →
I’m not so very interested in an incident that seems to be absorbing people so heavily this days, in which an actor in the Broadway show “Hamilton” made a condescending speech from the stage around curtain call time suggesting that … Continue reading →
I’d never heard of ballet dancer Zenaida Yanowsky before. But I idly clicked on a video while procrastinating about something-or-other, and what I saw puzzled me. It was the “Black Swan” pas de deux, and I didn’t love her dancing. … Continue reading →
I find George Bush’s continuing dedication to painting to be quite fascinating. I like his paintings and think he’s improved since he began. Now he seems to be concentrating on portraiture; this is what an art critic has to say: … Continue reading →
After giving us the gift of his music for nearly fifty years, Leonard Cohen has finally gone home: His son issued this statement on his father’s death: “My father passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles with the … Continue reading →